Routine chest x-rays in intensive care units: a systematic review and meta-analysis - Download this document for free, or read online. Document in PDF available to download.

Critical Care

, 16:R68

First Online: 27 April 2012Received: 08 November 2011Revised: 14 February 2012Accepted: 27 April 2012

Abstract

IntroductionChest x-rays CXRs are the most frequent radiological tests performed in the intensive care unit ICU. However, the utility of performing daily routine CXRs is unclear.

MethodsWe searched Medline and Embase 1948 to March 2011 for randomized and quasi-randomized controlled trials RCTs and before-after observational studies comparing a strategy of routine CXRs to a more restrictive approach with CXRs performed to investigate clinical changes among critically ill adults or children. In duplicate, we extracted data on the CXR strategy, study quality and clinical outcomes ICU and hospital mortality; duration of mechanical ventilation and ICU and hospital stay.

ConclusionsThis meta-analysis did not detect any harm associated with a restrictive chest radiograph strategy. However, confidence intervals were wide and harm was not rigorously assessed. Therefore, the safety of abandoning routine CXRs in patients admitted to the ICU remains uncertain.

AbbreviationsCIconfidence interval

CXRchest x-ray

ICCintracluster correlation coefficient

ICUintensive care unit

RCTrandomized controlled trial

RRrisk ratio

WMDweighted mean difference.

Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article doi:10.1186-cc11321 contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

* Images in this website could be protected under copyright laws. They are picked automatically from bing.Please use the contact form to claim a copyright infriction and the item will be removed immediatelly.